The present invention generally relates to stenographic transcribers and computer-aided transcription (CAT) systems of the type used by court reporters. More particularly, the present invention is an improved CAT system which provides a method and means for facilitating the marking of reference characters on a stenographic transcript by persons other than the stenographic reporter.
For many years, stenography has been widely used for making a written transcript of the verbally-conducted proceedings in court rooms, depositions, and business meetings. Basically, a stenographic writing machine, which is similar to a typewriter, is used for making a phonetic record of the spoken communications heard by the stenographic machine operator during the proceedings. These stenographic reporters, such as court reporters, are trained and certified to capture a verbatim record of all testimony at such proceedings. The stenographic writer is usually equipped with a continuous paper tape printing device, which prints the phonetic representation, i.e., "strokes," of what was recorded during the proceedings. The stenographic reporter is then responsible for transcription of the paper tape record from its phonetic form into a human-readable printed transcript in the appropriate language.
The advent of microcomputers and inexpensive personal computers (PC's) has greatly expanded the capability of stenographic machines and, accordingly, has significantly enhanced the productivity of stenographic reporters. In addition to performing the functions of capturing and printing a phonetic record of the proceedings, modern stenographic machines are equipped with electronic storage capabilities, such as tape drives, disk drives, and random-access-memory (RAM). In some cases, the stenographic writer may also include direct electronic communications capability, such as serial or parallel communication ports.
After the proceedings are over, the stenographic reporter who is equipped with computer-aided transcription software running on a dedicated or personal computer, can transfer the phonetic information to the computer by tape, disk, or direct electronic communication. By using a personalized dictionary of phonetic translations, the stenographic reporter can then translate the phonetic information into a textual record in document form. The textual record is then input into a word processor program for editing. Printed transcripts, which are the end product of the stenographic reporter's work, are then made available upon request at a price to individuals. The basic functions of the typical CAT system, namely, the inputting, printing, and storing of phonetic strokes entered by a stenographic reporter, the translation of the phonetic strokes into textual form, and the editing and printing of the transcripts, are readily understood by those skilled in the art of CAT systems.
Stenographic reporters frequently desire to mark the paper tape produced by the stenographic writer to indicate a portion of the testimony for later reference. In the past, this procedure has been accomplished by merely marking the paper tape with a pen or pencil, or by slightly tearing the paper at its margin. In the alternative, several prior art devices have been made available for marking the paper tape. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,557 issued to Fowler et al. describes a paper tape marking device for a shorthand machine, wherein the activating keys for the marking device are located in close proximity to the shorthand machine keyboard such that the machine operator may activate the device with minimal interruption of the recording process. Another prior art device has addressed the problem of identifying for future reference a portion of an electronic data record as it is being recorded by the stenographic machine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,798 issued to Chvojcsek describes a referencing device for a shorthand machine, wherein a magnetically-influenced reed switch provides an electrical output signal for encoding a referencing bit into a recording medium at an identifiable memory address.
However, the prior art apparently does not address the corresponding problem encountered by other parties at the proceedings such as attorneys and paralegal professionals--that of marking the transcript for purposes of their own reference. For example, an attorney may wish to highlight particular issues raised during a deposition, or an executive may need to note special topics discussed during a business meeting which must be addressed at a later date, or a paralegal may desire to keep track how each piece of evidence is handled during a trial. In order for these parties, other than the stenographic reporter, to reference a particular portion of the transcript, they must utilize handwritten notes taken during the proceedings. Then their handwritten notes must be correlated with the final printed transcript provided by the stenographic reporter. Countless hours are spent pouring over printed transcripts searching for the particular topics or issues of interest.
A need, therefore, exists for a method and means for facilitating the referencing of stenographic transcripts by persons present at the proceedings other than the stenographic reporter.